Signed into law as Section 12181 of Title 42 of the United States Code on Jul. 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a wide-ranging legislation intended to make American society more accessible to people with disabilities. The legislation, which took effect on Jul. 26, 1992, mandates, among other things, standards for access to public facilities, including public sidewalks. The law not only requires that curb cuts be made at intersections and crosswalks to facilitate wheelchair access, but also mandates specifications for slopes and transitions between two surfaces of different levels. Some of the relevant provisions of the law are as follows:
4.5.2 Changes in Level. Changes in level up to ¼ inch (6 mm) may be vertical and without edge treatment. Changes in level between ¼ inch and ½ inch (6 mm and 13 mm) shall be beveled with a slope no greater than 1:2. Changes in level greater than ½ inch (13 mm) shall be accomplished by means of a ramp that complies with 4.7 or 4.8.
4.72 Slope. Slopes of curb ramps shall comply with 4.8.2. Transitions from ramps to walks, gutters, or streets shall be flush and free of abrupt changes. Maximum slopes of adjoining gutters, road surface immediately adjacent to the curb ramp, or accessible route shall not exceed 1:20.
4.8.2 Slope and Rise. The least possible slope shall be used for any ramp. The maximum slope of a ramp in new construction shall be 1:12. The maximum rise for any run shall be 30 inches (760 mm). Curb ramps and ramps to be constructed on existing sites or in existing building or facilities may have slopes and rises as allowed in 4.1.6(3)(a) if space limitations prohibit the use of a 1:12 slope or less.
3-a-1. A slope between 1:10 and 1:12 is allowed for a maximum rise of 6 inches.
3-a-1. A slope between 1:8 and 1:10 is allowed for a maximum rise of 3 inches. A slope steeper than 1:8 is not allowed.
Public sidewalks and private sidewalks open to the public must comply with the foregoing provisions of the ADA. Tree roots are the single most significant cause of unlevel conditions of sidewalks. Because sidewalks are generally made of contiguous concrete slabs, unevenness typically occurs at the joints between the slabs. Unstable and inadequately compacted soils can also lead to differential settling of adjacent slabs.
Historically, trip hazards caused by uneven lifting and settling of contiguous sidewalk sections have been eliminated either by tearing out the old concrete and replacing it with new slabs having no abrupt transitions between joints, by forming a transition ramp on the lowermost section with macadam, or by creating a chamfer on the edge of the uppermost section. The first method represents the most expensive fix. The second method, which uses dark-colored macadam on a light-colored sidewalk, is unsightly. If the chamfer is made using a surface cutter or grinder, the second method is slow, given that all material removed through grinding must be pulverized. In addition, if the process is performed with a drum cutter, the equipment is relatively expensive and leaves a rough surface. In addition, most equipment used heretofore is incapable of removing the trip hazard over the entire width of a sidewalk. Furthermore, if two adjacent sidewalk slabs have twisted in opposite directions as they have settled or raised, it may be necessary to create a ramp across a portion of the width of the sidewalk on both sides of the joint.
What is needed is a new method and apparatus that will reduce the time required to form chamfers, that is capable of removing a trip hazard over the entire width of a sidewalk, and that is capable of chamfering portions of two intersecting slabs at a common joint. Ideally, the equipment and expendables required will be relatively simple and inexpensive, and will not require pulverization of all material removed during a chamfer operation.